holding onto our community

Each day we are holding onto each other.

There is such a positive feeling in our community amongst the rubble and the chaos.

It is as though the shell has been cracked open and we are holding the space for new life to be created.

In this space, love is palpable between friends and strangers.

We hug easier. We share our stories with those who we may not know well.

We hold onto our shared humanity.

This community, amongst the grief and the sadness, is ready for the future.

Below is an article I wrote for next weeks edition of the local newspaper.

Investing in our community after the quake

A lot of people know of our community and love the place; they love the vibe, the vision and the people who live here. People from around the world are donating money each day to help get this town back on it's feet and support it's visionary community.

Money is pouring in.

It would be easy to spend the money straight away; there are plenty of needs right now. All important, many urgent.

But with the quake came a collapse of much of what we have known. In it's wake there has been a new space created, eerie and hollow right now but nevertheless a chance to take a breath and envision what we will create in this new space in the future.

So how might we use the financial resources being gifted to us in a way that most benefits our hopes for this community in the future?

First and foremost, money standing still benefits no one.

The greatest gains to our local community comes from circulating the money; spending it on local projects that benefit as much of the local community as possible.

Imagine a community money pool. Priorities are made about what projects best serve this community's future and interest-free loans are made. As these are paid back and more money is donated, more money is loaned out.

The bare skeleton of a financial model but nevertheless a beginning. If you wish to be part of the conversation that will further develop this model contact .........

From our collective wisdom exciting solutions will arise in response to the devastation we face right now. Solutions that will be particular to the needs of this community.

Solutions that will set us right for an exciting future in this little harbour town we call home.